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By Anyuak Media Reporter
August 8, 2009
Posted to the web on August 8, 2009 |
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Unlike other parts of Ethiopia, Gambella was once believed to be fertile and evergreen throughout the year, and that is one of the reasons it was chosen to be site of resettlement during the Derg regime. The region today still hosts thousands of household farmers who were removed from their drought or desert land in Northern and Southern parts of the country. The cause of the drought in their original place, as oral historians tell, is their negative tendencies toward wilderness. They would cut down trees for firewood and other purposes and finally they found themselves in desert land and followed by lack of rain. They are still doing the same thing in the Gambella region where they were resettled.
The newest estate farm in Abobo districtin, owned by the “investors” Mohammad AL-Amoudi, the 43rd richest man in the world. (photo by Obang Ojwok in July 2009) - Full Size
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These settlers are enemy of trees/wilderness. They cut down trees to make charcoal, cooking fuel, and do not even think about what would be the consequences of losing wilderness or forest. The second enemies of the wilderness/forest in the region at the movement are what are so call “investors” whose estate farms stretch from Pnykow-to-Itang and Abobo-to-Pynudo districts. All these “investors” at the movement are busy cutting down the trees for the pretext of planting rice, cotton and other cash crops which may not benefit the inhabitants of the region. The “investors” includes Mohammad AL-Amoudi, the 43rd richest man in the world, who owns the estate farm in Abobo district, Indian investors whose estate farms stretch from Pnykow-to-Itang and miscellaneous investors. The Indian ambassador to Ethiopia had even visited the region in June 2009 to see how the Indian investors are doing so far. The kinds of crops these investors are going to plant are not yet clear, but somehow it is obvious that the cash crops are most likely to be planted in the farms.
In a real world, when the investors want to construct any project in a particular place, the local authorities and local citizens must be consulted i.e. to make social impact assessment and environmental impacts assessment count (cost-effect assessment). A social impact assessment is defined to be the identification, analysis, and evaluation of the social impact resulting from a particular event or project. According to Thomas Dietz’s definition, it includes two criteria for an impact: a subjective one and an objective one. Subjective impacts are those perceived by, or of concern to those affected, whether or not an outsider finds those concerns realistic. However, objective impacts are those considered important by an outside expert whether or not those impacts are of concern to those affected. In the case of the Gambella region, I do not think, the stakeholders (local government, federal government, investors, and other entities) in the region have even thought of considering the subjective impacts.
The “investors” have just ignoring the fact that the consequences will not be paid by the stakeholders, but the indigenous. (photo by Obang Ojwok in July 2009) - Full Size
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What is seems to be in the making is the objective impacts. In other words, the indigenous inputs or involvement in their environment destiny is ignored. When any corporate or investors consider constructing project, it always considered balance of cost and effect on the environment and social as well. The “investors” in the region appear to have lack of this knowledge or just ignoring the fact that the consequences will not be paid by the stakeholders, but the indigenous.
Scientific Facts on desertification, according to the Green Facts website, have shown that Policies leading to an unsustainable use of resources and the lack of adequate infrastructures are major contributors to land degradation. The immediate cause of desertification is said to be the removal of vegetation. All these factors are taking place in the region at the movement. However, the local institutions could contribute to preventing desertification by allowing land users to manage and use ecosystem services more effectively through enhanced access to productive land, capital, labor, and technology. Again, these factors are not considered by both local and federal government in the region.
Laymen in Gambella are the most concerned about losing their way of lives—their dependency on the natural resources, and agrarian way of lives. Losing of the land to what so-call “investors” is the talk of the day, and one of the most discussed issues today in the region among the indigenous. They put blame on the local government who look as if it is taking part in destroying the forest/wilderness and passing the land on unreliable investors. Traditionally, the Anuaks have natural relation with their land and its natural resources. Nevertheless, this time, with the influx of uninvited inhabitants and investors, some of whom plough with cows, they are hesitant about what will happen to their land and environment as whole; their sense of the land ownership seems to be fading and going south. Whether the land is leased to these “investors" or not, the chances are, the indigenous are more likely to lose their land and wilderness to uninvited investors and inhabitants. One could figure out the despair on the faces of the indigenous when they talked about the indiscriminate destruction of the wilderness/forest in the area.
The Natives are not only worried about the farm land but they also worried that they will not even find a piece of land in Pnykow or Abobo (Gambella suburb) to build a hut in the near future. (photo by Obang Ojwok in July 2009) - Full Size
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Abobo district, for instant, was hit by a tornado a couple years ago, but if one tells the inhabitants or local government that the tornado was caused by the lack of vegetation in the area, it would be hard for them to believe it. Another drought that is most likely to be attributed to the lack of vegetation has been taking place in Jor, and Gog districts respectively. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOS) in the region have already started drawing their contingency plans to assist those districts perceived to be affected by the drought. The above mentioned factors can be one of the best examples of imminent desertification in the region. As a result of the lack of rain these two districts, the whole region is expected to be hit by famine next year.
The concerned and worried natives are not only worried about the farm land but they also worried about residential lands or slots in the regional capital, Gambella. They certainly believe that the indigenous will be one day pushed away by the new comers. The price of the residential land in Gambella town today is sky rocking, and it is expected to be more expensive. Majority of the laymen will not be able to buy a residential land in the town. If the natives in diasporas do not come back to invest or buy land to build houses for themselves, said one of the natives, they will not even find a piece of land in Pnykow or Abobo (Gambella suburb) to build a hut in the near future. It is, therefore, a responsibility of every Anuak in Diasporas to go back home and have some land reserve for his/her future generations.
Written by the concerned indigenous of the region
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